Second Chinese spy balloon flies over Latin America, Pentagon reports

A second Chinese “surveillance” balloon flies over Latin AmericaThe Pentagon reported this Friday, at a time of tension between Washington and Beijing after the detection of a first Chinese aerostat in the United States, which led to the suspension of a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing.

“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess that it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement.

The text does not specify its exact location.

The day before, the Pentagon announced the detection of an alleged Chinese spy balloon in United States airspace, which it described as an “irresponsible act”, despite the fact that the Chinese authorities They “regretted” the intrusion, according to them “involuntary”.

Blinken postponed a visit to Beijing on Friday and personally communicated it to a senior Chinese official.

“This is an irresponsible act and a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law that undermines the purpose of the trip,” he told her, according to a statement from the State Department spokesman.

The visit, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, “has been postponed” and will be rescheduled when “conditions are right,” said a US official who requested anonymity.

“We have noted that China is sorry”, but the presence of this balloon in our airspace “is unacceptable”, he added.

According to the Chinese state agency xinhuaWang replied to Blinken that “China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international law”, while calling to “avoid misjudgments and manage divergences”.

But Ryder was blunt: “The fact is that it is a spy balloon”.

Washington assured the day before that he had not the slightest doubt about the origin of this great aerostat that flew at high altitude, nor about the fact that it was used for espionage purposes.

Initially, the Chinese government asked that the matter not be exaggerated, but on Friday it ended up acknowledging that It is indeed a device from China..

“It is a civil aircraft used for scientific purposes, mainly meteorological”, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Due to the wind the balloondeviated from its trajectory”, he said, adding that his country “regrets” that it entered US airspace by “force majeure”. (YO)